


Underwater

by veryveryverytemporarily



Category: Emmerdale, robron
Genre: M/M, angsty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 02:48:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,052
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10935411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/veryveryverytemporarily/pseuds/veryveryverytemporarily
Summary: Robert and Aaron are on the beach as their time in Mauritius starts to come to a close. Aaron's uneasy as he senses a distance growing between them and wonders why.





	Underwater

‘Don’t we have to get back?’

They sit side by side, in the shallow water at the edge of the sea, the spent waves running up between and over their thighs. Aaron digs in the wet sand with his fingers, waiting for Robert to reply.

He knows it’s not just him; they’ve _both_ had enough, it’s been brilliant but…

they’re weary; the heat, the food, the same ole, same ole play lists in the cafés.

The walls of the hotel room are too white now, and the single beds that they push together every night are quite simply a pain in the proverbial.

The only thing they haven’t had enough of is each other.

At night, in the heat, they lie too close to be comfortable, a bath towel spread beneath their hips over the sheet to absorb the sweat, and the evidence of their illicit honeymooning.

When it gets too much they rise and shower, turning slowly under the falling water, sidestepping sand that gathers in the cracks of white porcelain tiles under their feet. Thy kiss in the quiet bathroom, then move back to bed, enjoying the rub of cool skin against cool skin, which doesn’t last so long.

Most nights this is when they make love again. It's Aaron who asks. He still can’t shake the memories of prison, the ache of his fingertips missing the feel of Robert’s body. Aaron wraps an arm tightly round the swell of Robert’s chest from behind. Robert tilts his neck back, so they can kiss as they rock rhythmically together. Their skin heats up all over again and, afterwards, satiated, they sleep on until late into the morning.

 

Robert doesn’t look back at him when he asks about going home, but he creeps his fingers over, touching Aaron’s where they’re splayed on the sand, finding his ring, pressing against it. He looks up innocently as other beach goers walk past them through the water.

‘Yeah, but I don’t want to, do you?’

Aaron doesn’t get it cos he knows Robert’s lying. He _does_ want to go home. He’s sure of it. But he doesn't too. He opens his mouth, then closes it again.

‘Fancy a swim?’ Robert says.

 

***

Robert wants to play, likes the risk just like the old days, especially here where their love is taboo.

He’s up already, wading into the water, zipping his sunglasses into the pocket of his bathing shorts while Aaron follows him, still with that uneasy feeling.

 

When the water’s past waist height, Robert is already swimming, Aaron still feeling his toes in the soft sand of the sea bed.

He watches Robert go under, the curve of his freckled shoulders as he dives, feels the fleeting touch of his body shimmering past him under the water, cheeky fingers moving up inside the leg of his bathing shorts.

So Aaron wets his lips, looking around at other swimmers, hoping no one has noticed, until Robert surfaces, eyes dancing, shaking droplets of water that sparkle in the sunshine from his blonde hair.

‘Come on, _swim,_ ’ He bumps up against Aaron. ‘Swim with me.’ His eyelids are lowered.

‘Give me a minute, yeah?’

‘Yeah?’

He’s not ready. But Robert has his own agenda and reaches for Aaron with two hands on his shoulders. He moves a leg behind his knee, unbalancing him, pulling him down suddenly into the fractured light of the water below. For a moment he’s suspended there, held down by Robert, wondering. He’s hiding something, Robert's hiding something. It hits him like a body blow. 

Then he’s rolling over and over, struggling in Robert’s hands, his eyes wide open. He looks up at the surface. He can hear his muffled voice in his ears, calling Robert’s name. His chest expands once, fills with water through his nose and open mouth, then expands again.

His heart is going to burst, he can’t breathe. He kicks out, feels Robert’s thigh buckle.

Then Robert's holding him in a vice grip and the sky is hurtling towards him, as he breaks through into the air. He’s coughing and sneezing up water, gasping, flailing. Robert’s arm is around his chest under his shoulders, keeping his head above water, fingers open, keeping him safe.

‘Aaron! Aaron?’

‘I wanna get out, I wanna get out,’ Aaron sobs.

When he’s calm again, Robert lets him down so he can feel the sand again under his feet.

Robert’s pulls him close, his chin digging into his shoulder. Their chests are pressed together in the water, heaving against each other.

‘Sorry, Sorry! It’s my fault! I did it! I didn’t mean it! I shouldn’t have…’

They pull apart. Aaron nods, breathing hard, eyes sliding sideways to Robert’s face as he looks away across the water.

 _What did you do?_ He wants to ask.

‘Sorry.’ Robert says again. ‘I just wanted you to forget.’

For a moment neither of them are sure what it is that’s so hard to forget. Whether it’s being trapped in the car, or something else. Then Aaron sighs, he has to go back under, he knows it, so much depends on it. He points down into the water, forcing a smile.

‘Count of three?’

He counts, not waiting, _one, two, three_ , and then draws a deep breath.

For a moment, he’s alone there in the murky world, and he can feel the fear creeping up on him, his heart starting to beat a little faster. Then Robert’s with him, reaching out his hands. Their fingers find each other’s and lace together, their eyes are open, and they move closer. At last, their lips brush together.

As they kiss, Aaron closes his eyes. He loves Robert so much, he knows he would hold his breath forever. That whatever he’s done, he’ll never stop loving him.

When they break apart, he sees their silver wedding rings flashing as they catch the sunlight.

They both emerge from the sea together, drinking in lungfuls of air, smiling with their mouths, eyes searching each other’s eyes.

Whatever the reason Robert doesn’t want to talk about going home, they’ll sort it, together. Meanwhile, they’re still in Mauritius.

Robert scans the beach, then places an arm over Aaron’s shoulder, trying to look more like friends than lovers, husbands.

Aaron bites his bottom lip.

'Lets go back,' he says.

 

 


End file.
